Doll eye having movable lid



April 23, 1963 H. BRUDNEY 3,086,318

DOLL EYE HAV ING MOVABLE LID Filed Nov. 22, 1961 INV EN TOR. A nrr v Brod'ney United States Patent 3,086,318 DOLL EYE HAVING MOVABLE LID Harry Brudney, New York, N.Y., assignor to Dollac Corporation, Brooklyn, NY. Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,177 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-166) This invention relates to doll eyes and more particularly to doll eyes of the sleeping type.

In sleeping doll eyes, it is generally conventional to provide for an eyeball member within a front shell or socket having an aperture, wherein the eyeball member is rotatively mounted and weight biased so as to effect a closed eye when the doll is in a horizontal position and an open eye when the doll is in a vertical position.

Further development in this field, is for sleeping doll eyes wherein the eyeball and front socket do not have relative movement but a movable lid is provided which can rotate to either of two positions to effect an open or closed eye. The teachings of the moving lid construction in the prior art have, however, certain drawbacks in complexity of structure and difficulty of manufacture and it is a particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a doll eye construction of the sleeping doll type having a realistic movement and comprising simple parts to effect reliability of function and wherein a conventional exterior shape of front shell may be utilized.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the description to follow:

Briefly, the invention contemplates the combining of a front socket or shell having the usual elliptical aperture and an eyeball element within the shell which is secured thereto, being maintained relatively stationary and secured by means of interlocking tongues and recesses. The configuration of the eyeball element is such as to have a cutout top wall portion thereof spaced from the corresponding wall portion of the socket or shell element so as to provide a recess for receiving a movable eyelid member in the form of a sector of a sphere, or an approximation thereof, which is secured to and carried on a trunnion pin in turn supported in notches at the rear edge of the eyeball element. The trunnion pin is weight biased in a fairly conventional manner to effect movement of the lid from the position in the recess or spacing, whereat the eye is open to a position in front of the eye concealing the iris and pupil portions whereat the eye simulates closure. Further, the lid constructed so as to carry an eyelash.

A detailed description now follows taken in conjunction With the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in cross sectional elevation;

FIG. la shows a fragmentary detail of the connection between the eyelid and the trunnion which carries it;

FIG. 2 is an interlocked assembly of such elements taken in cross sectional elevation;

FIG. 3 shows the lid and eyeball element in their relationship to simulate a closed eye, taken in cross section;

FIG. 4 is a view looking into the rear of the shell, the eyeball member and the lid;

FIG. 5 is a view of the rear of the eyeball member;

FIG. 6 is a view of the front of the eyeball member;

FIG. 7 is a view of the rear of the eye socket or front shell member.

Referring to the drawing and in particular to FIG. 1, the invention comprises a generally spherical, plastic molded socket or front shell member 10 having an aperture 12 of the usual elliptical shape, having the rear edge or rim 13 and also having a rearwardly protruding shelf or tongue 15, a recess 15a, and a peripheral inner shoulder 18a and 18b. The sides of the shell are provided with 3,086,318 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 trunnion clearance recesses 20. Likewise shown, is a plastic molded eyeball member 22 having the usual molded iris and pupil front portion 25 and a socket or recess 28 for receiving tongue .15 (FIG. 2), a tongue 28a to fit recess 15a, and an interior thickened reinforcing ridge '34. The eyeball member is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposed trunnion sockets 38, for support of the trunnion pin 53. The eyeball member further has the top portion at 44 removed in order to increase the capacity of a recess S for receiving a movable partial eyelid 47. Cutout 44 is actually provided at the time of molding of the eyeball. The recess or'spacing S, as seen on FIG. 2, is between members 10 and 22.

It should be noted (FIG. 2), that the optical axis of the eyeball is tilted upwardly 6-8 with respect to the axis of shell 12, the center C of the shell sphere being located slightly forward and above the center C of the eyeball sphere. This reduces the distance of required travel of lid 47.

By making a partial lid as shown, in conjunction with the stationary eyeball set at an angle relative to the outer shell, a symmetrically outer contoured shell can be utilized which requires no changes in standard eye cavities in doll heads.

The movable lid element 47 is in the general form of the sector of a sphere although somewhat distorted at its ends, in that the lid corners (FIG. 4) have a slightly larger radius from the center of the geometric sphere than the radius at the center, in order to provide compactness of the lid in combination with the shell and eyeball element. The dilference in radius is measured as a matter of a few hundredths of an inch, R being greater than R The lid has a forward box-like recess 48 for the arcuate extent of the lash across the frontal portion of the lid, and a rear abutment 49. The recess is slotted at 47a to receive eyelash 50 cemented inside the lid at 50a, within the recess. The recess makes it possible to thin the lid material for slitting, through the bottom of the recess, without causing it to split and is an important feature in the incorporation of a soft lash material.

Trunnion pin 53 is secured at its reduced ends 54 in any suitable manner, as by cementing, within notches 56 at the ends of the lid member and within half collars 57 extending outwardly of notches 56 and integral with the lid corners, FIG. la. The trunnion pin has a weight arm 59 of general L-shape which carries the lead weight '62 clinched thereon in the usual manner. The ends 63 of the trunnion pin fit into respective notches 38 of the eyeball for bearing support with the lid 47 received in recess or spacing S as heretofore mentioned.-

The elimination of material at the eyeball top 44 effects space for movement for abutment 49 which serves as a stop limit for the extreme limits of travel of the lid.

The ends of the trunnions rotate freely without bearing support in recesses 20 of the shell member.

The elements thus far described, upon assembly, are retained by a retainer ring 66 (FIG. 1) having a radial flange 69 for retaining the trunnion ends and also abutting the radial rim 42 of eyeball member 22 as well as against the rim 18b of shell element 10'. The retainer ring also has an outwardly disposed radial flange 74 which is axially spaced from the rear rim 13 of the shell memher. The composite assembly is then made into an integral unit by force fit of the rear closure housing 78 fitting over the exterior of the rear margin of the shell member in the usual manner.

All of the parts may bemade of molded plastic except that, preferably, the weight is metal as well as the rear housing, in accordance with the conventional use of such materials in doll eyes.

As noted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the weight 62 is fully floating when the doll eye is moved from vertical position to horizontal. The lid abutment 49 strikes the retainer ring flange 69 to limit opening motion of the lid (FIG. 2). To limit closing movement of the lid, abutment 49 strikes the forward portion of the eyeball top as shown in FIG. 3.

The open top at'44 of the upper portion of the eyeball thus increases the spatial regions in order to ensure suit able accommodation of lid-47 and abutment 49. The arrangement providing for tilt of the eye also results in lessening the degree of downward movement of the lid to efifect coverage of the front eye area. Any lower exposed portion of the eyeball will be concealed by lash 50.

FIG. 4 shows the central position of abutment 49.

FIG. 5 illustrates the extent of thickened portion 34 and outer rim 41 while FIG. 6 shows the front of the integrallymolded eye, particularly the shape of recess 28 for receiving tongue 15; and FIG. 7 shows the relative widths of tongue 15 and recess 15a.

The doubly interlocked tongue or shelf and groove or recess assembly of the shell and eyeball 22 provides for a very solidly secured assembly of these components to preclude any looseness or shifting that might cause jamming of the lid motion; an'irnportant feature in view of the close tolerances involved and the required compactness of overall assembly.

said shell and stationary with respect thereto and having a wall portion spaced from a corresponding wall portion of said shell, said spacing being above the front portion of said eyeball element, said front portion being normally visible through said aperture to effect an open eye, an

eyelid element Within said shell movable from a position in said spacing to a position in front of said eye to give the effect of a closed eye, said eyelid having a foreshortened abutment member engageable with said eyeball to limit the closing movement of said eyelid, said front shell having open ended trunnion clearance recesses, said eyeball element having open ended trunnion sockets, said eyelid element having trunnions secured thereto and passing through said sockets into said recesses, 21 retaining ring for securing said .trunuions in said sockets, a weight attached to said eyelid element, said retaining ring having a radial flange abutting a portion of said eyeball element to elfect securement thereof .within said front shell.

2. A doll eye unit comprising a front shell having an aperture therethrough, an eyeball element secured within said shell and stationary with respect thereto and having a wall portion spaced from a corresponding wall portion of said shell, said spacing being above the front portion of said eyeball element, said front portion being normally visible through said aperture to eifect an open eye, an eyelid element within said shell movable from a position in said spacing to a position in front of said eye to give the effect of a closed eye, said eyelid having an abutment member engageable with said eyeball to limit the closing movement of said eyelid, and a tongue and groove joint intermediate said eyeball element and said front shell for effecting an integral connection therebetween, said tongue and groove joint being disposed below said front portion of said eyeball element, and having contiguous surfaces extending generally parallel to a line passing through the center of the shell and the center of the aperture Where-by to lock said elements.

3. In a doll eye as set forth in claim 1, said eyeball element being generally spherical and having a' generally open top so as to effect a widening of said spacing between said top and said shell.

4. A doll eye unit comprising a front shell having an aperture therethrough, an eyeball element secured within said shell and stationary with respect thereto and having a wall portion spaced from a corresponding wall portion of said shell, said spacing being above the front portion of said eyeball element, said front portion being normally visible through said aperture to effect an open eye, an eyelid element Within said shell movable from a position in said spacing to a position in front of said eye to give the effect of a closed eye, said eyelid having an abutment member engageable with said eyeball to limit the closing movement of said eyelid, said eyeball element being pro- .vided with a pair of diametrically disposed notches, a trunnion pin carried in said notches, said eyelid element being in the general shape of a sector of a sphere but having a distortion effected by lengthening of the diameter of such sphere at the sector corners, said corners beingsecured to respective ends of said trunnion pin.

5. A doll eye unit comprising a front shell having an aperture therethrough, an eyeball element secured within said shell and stationary with respect thereto and having a wall portion spacedfrom a corresponding wall portion of said shell, said spacing being above the front portion of said eyeball element, said front portion being normally visible through said aperture to effect an open eye, an eyelid element within said shell movable from a position in said spacing to a position in front of said eye to give the effect of a closed eye, said eyelid having an abutment member engageable with said eyeball to limit the closing movement of said eyelid, and a retainer ring abutting said eyeball element and maintaining said element in fixed position in said shell, and means holding said ring in said abutting position, said lid abutment being so disposed on said lid as to engage said ring to limit the opening movement of said lid.

6. A doll eye comprising an outer shell comprising a partial sphere having a front aperture and an eyeball element in said shell and having a front portion normally visible through said aperture, said front portion being spaced from the periphery of said aperture, an eyelid ele- *ment comprising a partial sphere within said shell movable between two positions at least, one such position being within the space between said front portion of said eyeball element and said aperture periphery so as to conceal said eyeball element to give the effect of closed eye and movable to another position Within said shell so as to expose the front portion of said eyeball element, the

'axis of said eyeball being at a predetermined angle to the axis of said shell whereby said eyeball is tilted in a vertical plane, said eyeball element and said shell being disposed so that the geometric centers are displaced, the

.material, punching a slot through the bottom of said recess, placing a lash through such slot and securing said lash as an integral part of said doll eye member.

8. In a method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said slot is punched at an angle to the adjacent exterior surface of said doll eye member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,997,123 Salemrne Apr. 9, 1935 2,618,898 Wilhelm Nov. 25, 1952 2,838,874 Brudney June 17, 1958 2,904,928 Bashover Sept. 22, 1959 3,006,110 Neff et al Oct. 31, 1961 

6. A DOLL EYE COMPRISING AN OUTER SHELL COMPRISING A PARTIAL SPHERE HAVING A FRONT APERTURE AND AN EYEBALL ELEMENT IN SAID SHELL AND HAVING A FRONT PORTION NORMALLY VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURE, SAID FRONT PORTION BEING SPACED FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID APERTURE, AN EYELID ELEMENT COMPRISING A PARTIAL SPHERE WITHIN SAID SHELL MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS AT LEAST, ONE SUCH POSITION BEING WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FRONT PORTION OF SAID EYEBALL ELEMENT AND SAID APERTURE PERIPHERY SO AS TO CONCEAL SAID EYEBALL ELEMENT TO GIVE THE EFFECT OF CLOSED EYE 